DataFeedWatch is a Data Feed Optimization tool for web shops that enables merchants to advertise their products on Google Shopping or Comparison Shopping Channels. DataFeedWatch imports a file with all product data from a store and enables merchants to create and optimize feeds and advertising campaigns for 500+ channels in over 35 countries.

We are an international company with headquarters in Silicon Valley in the U.S. and offices in Krakow and Amsterdam. With double digit growth, we would like to expand the IT team in our Krakow office.

What you get:
• gain new experience by having a real, direct impact on the company
• relaxed yet results driven, encouraging creativity and collaboration work environment in young, dynamic team of professionals that make great software
• a competitive salary dependent on skills
• a flexible form of employment
• modern office in the heart of Krakow
• private health services and Multisport card
• free hot lunch provided 5 times a week
• table football room
• fresh fruits
• excellent coffee
• training course

DataFeedWatch is a Data Feed Optimization tool for web shops that enables merchants to advertise their products on Google Shopping or Comparison Shopping Channels. DataFeedWatch imports a file with all product data from a store and enables merchants to create and optimize feeds and advertising campaigns for 500+ channels in over 35 countries.

We are an international company with headquarters in Silicon Valley in the U.S. and offices in Krakow and Amsterdam. With double digit growth, we would like to expand the IT team in our Krakow office.

Who we are looking for

Required qualifications:
• 3+ year of experience in web development
• database – MongoDB, knowledgeable in MySQL and SQL query language (ability to write and optimize SQL queries)
• developing & implementing REST API Services
• systems Administration – Though our server and storage needs are outsourced (and you will have access to their support staff 24/7), this position does require basic Linux server admin skills.
• knowledge of Git
• communicative English

What you get:
• gain new experience by having a real, direct impact on the company
• relaxed yet results driven, encouraging creativity and collaboration work environment in young, dynamic team of professionals that make great software
• a competitive salary dependent on skills
• a flexible form of employment
• modern office in the heart of Krakow
• private health services and Multisport card
• free hot lunch provided 5 times a week
• table football room
• fresh fruits
• excellent coffee
• training course

]]>https://www.datafeedwatch.com/jobs/senior-ruby-developer-krakow/feed/0https://www.datafeedwatch.com/jobs/senior-ruby-developer-krakow/DataFeedWatch: Newer, Better, Faster!!!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatafeedwatchBlog/~3/nYqlC7hxfJ4/
https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/03/08/a-new-version-of-datafeedwatch/#respondWed, 08 Mar 2017 11:59:55 +0000http://www.datafeedwatch.com/?p=5565We are proud to present the next generation version of DataFeedWatch. We have been working on it for a while now and we are happy to announce that it is live as of today. DataFeedWatch’s core belief is that feed management is a marketing task and campaign managers should be hands-on with their feeds. That […]

We are proud to present the next generation version of DataFeedWatch. We have been working on it for a while now and we are happy to announce that it is live as of today.

DataFeedWatch’s core belief is that feed management is a marketing task and campaign managers should be hands-on with their feeds. That is why the new interface is even more intuitive, making it easier for marketing managers to be in control of their feeds.

The new version comes not only with a newer and better interface but also with much faster feed processing capabilities. It has many benefits for our customers, the biggest being:

It is much faster – The speed of feed uploads and rules processing will increase noticeable

More functionalities – New enhanced”IF” rules to go even more granular with your feed optimization conditions

It is still as easy to use as it was – Actually, it will be easier to use thanks to a more intuitive and polished interface

The new version of DataFeedWatch will be rolled out gradually for all our customers in the upcoming weeks. That means that customers will see some channels and pages still having the ‘old’ look and some having the new one.

Among the numerous changes this new interface comes with, let us put on the spotlight the most important ones:

1. Basic layout

The most noticeable change is the interface change of the ”Field Mapping Template”.

Old DataFeedWatch Interface:

New DataFeedWatch interface:

As you can see below, we still have the output fields on the left side of the page; your own input fields on the right and the functionality (mapping types) in the middle.

We put the choice between All products and IF in a switch; just click which one you want.

Edit values functionality is still in the same place but will show in a pop-up if you click it.

Old Edit Values Interface:

New Edit Values Interface:

2. Fold in and out

Having a quick overview of all the conditions applied to any given attribute is fundamental for speed and sometimes clarity.

We added a way to fold in all rules, so you can review all your rules at a single glance.

Or you can fold them all out with the same button..

But you can also fold in & out the individual rules with the small ’triangle-button’ on the right side of each rule.

3. More functionality with “and / or”

Going very granular with rules is most of the times necessary. At the same time, keeping track of all the conditions applied to a field at a quick glance is required.

As soon as you click the IF you can add the first Condition, just like in the old version.

But once you added your first condition, you can add more with and/or button on the right and below:

if you use an and/or on the right, you will add a “double condition”.

if you use the and/or below, you will add a second condition.

The orange IF and the green AND are actually switches, so you can switch between and and or.

Old Version:

Try it out and you’ll see how easy it is.

4. Add Double Conditions for Categories

Category mapping for Google Shopping is most times a bottleneck for merchants. Our previous mapping made it very easy for our customers to select their sub-categories, based on their product types.

The category mapping system has actually not changed, but what we did was to add the same simple and/or logic to categories, so now you can create multiple conditions to specify a category:

Feed management and optimization is challenging most of the time, and having an easy to use tool, that doesn’t cause frustrations is key to making the process more enjoyable.

We value highly the feedback of our customers and every single change that we implemented is what you have asked. You will see that there are many more improvements in every part of our app, but you will easily find them.

If there’s anything you cannot find, you know the drill: Hit the orange CHAT WITH US! button and we’ll gladly and quickly help you out!

]]>https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/03/08/a-new-version-of-datafeedwatch/feed/0https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/03/08/a-new-version-of-datafeedwatch/Add Product Ratings on Google Shoppinghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatafeedwatchBlog/~3/7QltMqE9q-w/
https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/28/add-product-ratings-on-google-shopping/#commentsTue, 28 Feb 2017 21:43:22 +0000http://www.datafeedwatch.com/?p=5549Shoppers rely on ratings when deciding where and how to spend their money online. In fact, 88 percent of people trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations. Why are they so important and what can you do to get them? Product ratings appear on products listed in Google Shopping and on shopping ads, […]

Shoppers rely on ratings when deciding where and how to spend their money online. In fact, 88 percent of people trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations. Why are they so important and what can you do to get them?

Product ratings appear on products listed in Google Shopping and on shopping ads, and they are featured prominently. Listings without them look incomplete and less compelling when displayed beside listings with a rating.

Product Ratings Vs Seller Ratings

Product Ratings on Google Shopping work on a five-star rating system and apply to individual products. Google Shopping also displays seller ratings for qualifying merchants, but these are different from product ratings. Seller ratings apply to your business overall, while products ratings are specific to products.

Product Reviews help with SEO and with on-site conversion. Seller Reviews help with building credibility, trust and standing out from your competitors.

Why should you have Product Ratings?

Product Ratings make your listings in Google Shopping stand out but they also help you build trust with potential customers, improve your visibility in search, and increase on-site conversions.

And there is tons of research to back this up:

– 72 percent of people will only make a buying decision after they have they have read a positive product review and rating.

– Reevoo found that product reviews and ratings can increase sales by 18 percent.

Product Matching

One of the most important factors to consider when setting up product ratings on Google Shopping, and creating your feed, is product matching. This is where Google matches the products in your feed to other products using industry-standard identifying information.

Including product identifying information will help improve your search results as well as matching product ratings. This is because Google will have a better understanding of the exact products you sell so will show them in relevant searches.

Google matches products via two methods:

GTIN – GTIN stands for Global Trade Item Number. It is a unique number that is assigned to products so they can be matched up in various databases.

The brand of the product plus its MPN – MPN stands for Manufacturer Part Number.

Maximizing the Benefits from Product Ratings

There are a number of things you should consider so you get as much benefit from Product Ratings on Google Shopping as possible.

1. Encourage your customers to leave reviews. You won’t qualify for Product Ratings if you don’t have enough reviews but there is an even more compelling reason for trying to get as many as possible – consumers trust ratings based on large numbers of reviews more than ratings based on small numbers of reviews.

2. Don’t aim for five stars reviews only: 52 percent of people trust products with some negative reviews and low ratings more than products that only have good reviews and high ratings.

Customers want ratings that appear genuine. A five-star rating can actually hurt your sales. The optimum rating is actually 4.7, i.e. products with a rating of 4.7 get more conversions than products with a rating of 5. This is because consumers understand that five-star ratings are usually only found on products that have few ratings (often left by people connected to the company or product in some way). A rating of around 4.7, however, appears more genuine.

3. Add Seller Ratings as well, as it can boost the effectiveness of Product Ratings. The requirements for qualification are different, but Seller Ratings can improve the quality of your listings even further.

How to Add Product Ratings to Your Listing Ads?

Comply with requirements

Product ratings are eligible to show anywhere in the world where Google Shopping is currently available. However, there are some country restrictions when it comes to displaying product ratings on Google Shopping ads and they only appear on ads in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

For ratings to show on the products you list on Google Shopping, you must have at least 50 reviews for all your products. Every product must have at least 3 reviews to show on Shopping Ads.

Website reviews vs third party review aggregators

You can decide whether you want to collect the reviews through your own online store or use a use a third party review aggregator service.

The advantage of using a third party review aggregators as opposed to collecting the reviews on your hosted platform is a higher authority level and the disadvantage is that it has an associated cost.

After gathering the reviews you need to complete a form to sign up for Product Ratings. Once accepted, you have to submit product reviews to Google Shopping.

If the review feed comes from your website you can upload it to your Google Merchant Centre account. If you instead use a third party aggregator you don’t need to upload it yourself, but Google will pull your feed directly.

Keep in mind that you have to submit a new feed at least once a month. If you don’t, product ratings may stop appearing on your products.

It All Comes Down to Building Trust

One of the most important elements of successfully selling products online is winning the trust of consumers. You have to convince them your product and your business can deliver on their expectations. Product Ratings on Google Shopping help you do this as without them, customers may not even visit your website, i.e. they will click on a link for one of your competitors that do have Product Ratings.

In other words, Product Ratings help you appear on Google Shopping searches, they help you win the click, and they help you increase sales.

]]>https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/28/add-product-ratings-on-google-shopping/feed/1https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/28/add-product-ratings-on-google-shopping/Google Shopping Available In Singaporehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatafeedwatchBlog/~3/9ZIv2iUcIKg/
https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/27/google-shopping-available-in-singapore/#respondMon, 27 Feb 2017 21:20:13 +0000http://www.datafeedwatch.com/?p=5539Exciting news for retailers in Southeast Asia: Google Shopping has been finally rolled out in Singapore in February 2017. Singapore, the first country in Southeast Asia where Google Shopping has been launched represents good news for both retailers and shoppers. Current eRetail landscape in Singapore Singaporean e-Commerce market is one of the most promising in […]

Exciting news for retailers in Southeast Asia: Google Shopping has been finally rolled out in Singapore in February 2017.

Singapore, the first country in Southeast Asia where Google Shopping has been launched represents good news for both retailers and shoppers.

Current eRetail landscape in Singapore

Singaporean e-Commerce market is one of the most promising in the region. With 60% of the population making at least one online purchase in the last year is one of the countries with the highest online shopping penetration rate. It sits in Top 10 countries with high penetration rate right between Canada and Australia.

Nonetheless is a small e-Commerce market where revenue from online shopping amounts to 3 billion dollars in 2017 and is expected to reach $5 billion by 2021.

Fashion, and Toys, Hobby &DIY are the verticals performing best and the largest segment is “Electronics & Media” with a market volume of US$918m in 2017.

The Singaporean market size might seem small, especially compared to the e-Commerce market of the top countries, but the high online shopping penetration and the large share of the population that buy goods online make it a very promising one.

3. Upload it to Google Merchant Center. Most likely you’ll see a long list of errors and disapprovals. Focus on getting the Google Merchant Center disapprovals fixed so that your feed is in compliance with Google’s requirements.

4. Once your feed is approved start working on optimizing it. When it comes to optimizing your feed sky is the limit, but we recommend you start with this resource here if you are a beginner to this: Beginner feed optimizations for Google Shopping.

If you want to spend more time on optimizing the feed these are the elements of the feed that we advise you to focus on:

There you have it. A long list of steps and actions required for success on Google Shopping.

We can help you get your feed ready and optimized in no time for Google Shopping in Singapore. Get in touch with us for a consultation or a feed review. We will review your feed and let you know what action points you need to take in order to have a feed as optimized as it can be.

]]>https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/27/google-shopping-available-in-singapore/feed/0https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/27/google-shopping-available-in-singapore/Google Shopping 2017: New Countries Availablehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatafeedwatchBlog/~3/PLkdydeYx70/
https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/24/google-shopping-2017-new-countries-available/#respondFri, 24 Feb 2017 09:46:33 +0000http://www.datafeedwatch.com/?p=5531Google Shopping is expanding to 14 new countries in 2017. What are the implications of this huge expansion and what can retailers do to take full advantage of it? Until the end of 2016, Google Shopping was available in 23 countries only, but things are rapidly evolving. At the end of last year, Google has […]

Google Shopping is expanding to 14 new countries in 2017. What are the implications of this huge expansion and what can retailers do to take full advantage of it?

Until the end of 2016, Google Shopping was available in 23 countries only, but things are rapidly evolving. At the end of last year, Google has silently published a list of new beta target countries for Google Shopping. The list is constantly being updated with new countries that are being added and countries that have made to the other end, where Google Shopping is now finally rolled out.

As of February 2017 the Google Shopping countries in beta are:

Argentina

Colombia

Chile

Indonesia

Hong Kong

Malaysia

The Philippines

Portugal

Taiwan

UAE

Click HERE to download our free guide on how to double your Google Shopping sales in 1 hour!
Without too much fuss 4 countries have been taken out of the beta and now Google Shopping has been finally rolled out in:

What does it mean for retailers in the beta target countries?

One of the eCommerce’s major hurdles is that the path to online purchase is tortuous and shoppers will not commit right away to a purchase. There will be a lot of product research and comparison, browsing and looking for best prices, which translates into multiple touch points before making the buying decision.

Where Google Shopping shines is Retail Search Intent, meaning that if the feed is properly optimized it will catch better-qualified traffic with a higher likelihood to buy.

Text ads will receive less visibility in Google Search and PLAs are going to be given more prominence, which will generate more traffic for the retailers with Shopping Campaigns.

Google Shopping is going to be the retail battleground this year in the newly launched territories. Starting now with the PLAs gives retailers a chance to be in pole position and this comes with a number of benefits:

Less competition in Google Shopping’s auction will make it simple for smaller brands to get visibility

Lower CPAs, due to less competition will make it easier in the beginning, getting a top spot in the display without breaking the bank

Higher CTRs for the product listing ads than for the text ads in Google Search

More time to get proficient with the platform and optimize your feeds for performance before every else arrives

]]>https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/24/google-shopping-2017-new-countries-available/feed/0https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/24/google-shopping-2017-new-countries-available/How to Write Effective Amazon Product Listings – Part Twohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatafeedwatchBlog/~3/JQOXqiwFsF0/
https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/20/how-to-write-effective-amazon-product-listings-part-two/#respondMon, 20 Feb 2017 21:48:09 +0000http://www.datafeedwatch.com/?p=5504If you are looking to increase your sales on Amazon then look no further. Optimizing your product listings is the key to it: you’ll get you more product page visits and more sales. We have already covered three of the elements that guarantee you an effective Amazon product listing and now we are having an […]

If you are looking to increase your sales on Amazon then look no further. Optimizing your product listings is the key to it: you’ll get you more product page visits and more sales.

We have already covered three of the elements that guarantee you an effective Amazon product listing and now we are having an in-depth look at Amazon Descriptions, Product Specification, ASIN numbers, Amazon Categories, and product management.

Without further ado let’s dive into the second part of How to write effective Amazon Product Listings.

Amazon Description and Bullet Points

The bullet points and description are where you can start really selling the product. The first thing a customer sees is the bullet point section, so you must quickly draw their attention to key selling features. They are designed to be quick and easy to read so make sure your text doesn’t do the opposite of this. For example, don’t use long sentences, technical jargon, or flowery language, and don’t keyword stuff.

You have five bullets to use, and Amazon gives guidance on what you should include and in what order. It is a good idea to follow this while also adding keywords.

Amazon also publishes a number of guidelines to follow, including making sure you don’t include price or promotional phrases such as “sale”.

In addition to Amazon advises, here are some bullet point optimization tips:

Use keywords, reinforcing those used in the title and introducing new ones.

Write concisely and separate different points on one line with a semi-colon. This will help you fit more in.

Make sure all five bullet points can be read at a glance.

To make your product listing stand out from the rest, write about benefits instead of simply listing features.

To demonstrate the last point, look at the bullet points in the mixer product listing used as an example above:

What about product descriptions? Unlike on Google, product descriptions on Amazon don’t have to be unique. This means you can copy all or part of your descriptions. There are some important elements you should make sure are included, though:

The description should fully describe the product, highlighting the benefits of owning the product to the user

It should include keywords

It should be easy to read

Correct spelling and grammar are essential

Use HTML formatting

On the last point, HTML formatting will make your product stand out while also making your listing easy to read.

The following example uses HTML formatting:

The image above is much easier to read than a listing that doesn’t use HTML formatting, like the example below:

Product Specifications

This is one section that many sellers either overlook completely or don’t give enough attention to. Here are some reasons you should not do this:

Product specifications can make your listing stand out

They can include crucial information to help the buyer make a decision

They can help improve visibility in Amazon, particularly if your product specification section is more detailed and helpful to customers than your competitors

That last point is the key to success with product specifications – making them as detailed as possible.

Amazon Product Categories and ASIN Numbers

Amazon uses product categories and product identifiers to manage its enormous database of products and to help it return the most relevant results possible when customers do a search. It is important you get both right for the products you sell.

There are two important things to remember with Amazon product categories:

They are not the same as Google Shopping categories

Some categories are open but for others, you have to request approval before you can start selling

ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number, so it is an Amazon-specific product identifier used in all its listings. You can find it in the address bar:

Amazon Inventory

Amazon does not like it when products are sold by vendors who don’t have the inventory to fulfill them. Keeping the inventory status of your product listing is, therefore, crucially important. You have a number of options:

In stock

X items left

Out of stock with a date when orders can be fulfilled

Order management tool, the one we offer: Amazon Order Management, automate the process of keeping your Amazon inventory up-to-date.

Manage and List Your Products to Amazon with a PIM

PIM stands for Product Information Management. They are applications that help you manage the data of your product listings in Amazon. They are important tools as manual management of this information (such as using a spread sheet) quickly becomes difficult.

]]>https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/20/how-to-write-effective-amazon-product-listings-part-two/feed/0https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/20/how-to-write-effective-amazon-product-listings-part-two/How to Write Effective Amazon Product Listings – Part Onehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatafeedwatchBlog/~3/qgwJrJVZihk/
https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/17/how-to-write-effective-amazon-product-listings-part-one/#respondFri, 17 Feb 2017 14:07:01 +0000http://www.datafeedwatch.com/?p=5490Want to get a slice of the world’s largest online retailer purchases? Today half of all online shopping searches start directly on Amazon. This translates into a lot of selling opportunities for vendors, but it also means that it is a dog-eat-dog world out there. With so many factors that are out of your control […]

Want to get a slice of the world’s largest online retailer purchases? Today half of all online shopping searches start directly on Amazon. This translates into a lot of selling opportunities for vendors, but it also means that it is a dog-eat-dog world out there.

With so many factors that are out of your control it is important you do everything that it is in your power to make your product listings stand out.

There are a number of elements that you can nail down and today we want to drill down through Titles, Images, and Customer Reviews.

Amazon Titles: Requirements and Optimization Tips

The title of your listing has two primary purposes: it helps people find your product and it encourages them to click to find out more.

When writing a title, there are Amazon guidelines you should be aware of as well as optimization strategies. Let’s start with the guidelines.

The length of the title is the most important – it cannot be longer than 200 characters. Amazon explicitly states that any products with titles longer than this will be suppressed in search results. This is to prevent keyword stuffing where people create artificially long titles in an attempt to rank in more search results.

It is also important to understand Amazon’s objectives – it wants your title to “assist the customer in understanding the product”. It also has other guidelines:

Capitalize the first letter in each word but don’t capitalize all the letters in a word. The exception to this is words like “and”, “for”, “the”, “an”, and “in”. These words should be in lower caps.

Use numbers, not words (5 instead of five).

If the product is a pack, state how many items are in the pack.

Spell out measurement words such as “inch”.

Include size and color if it is relevant and/or the product comes in multiple sizes or color options.

Among the things you should not include:

Special characters (“!”, “?” etc). This includes “&”. You should spell this out in lower case, i.e. “and”.

Price

Quantity (unless it is relevant)

Information about you

Promotional phrases (“sale”, “offer”, “free shipping”, etc)

Subjective commentary (for example, “best seller”)

You should include a number of elements in your titles to optimize them for Amazon, usually in this order:

Brand name – in most cases, this should be the first part of your title.

Keywords – keywords are crucial as they describe what your product does as well as giving context to the user’s search.

This is a very good example because it follows the Amazon guidelines and optimization strategies:

In this second product title example, there is a lot of room for improvement:

Tips for Images

Once the buyer lands on the product page the images will do most of the selling.

Some of the points to keep into consideration when selecting the images that will go with your Amazon listing are:

Use a pure white background.

Show the entire product but only show what is included in the product listing, i.e. don’t show accessories that are not included. The product should cover at least 80 percent of the image.

Make sure the image is at least 1,000 dpi. This maintains a good resolution when the customer zooms in.

There are a number of things regarding your image, which may result in a quality warning from Amazon:

Adding promotional text to images such as “sale” or “offer”. Other text, particularly on images additional to the main image, are okay, especially if they help the customer understand the product better.

Using images with borders, watermarks, or decorations, particularly on the main image.

Using drawings or sketches.

Using placeholder images.

You should always take the above into account, but anything that helps the customer make a buying decision is allowed. For example, generally you should only show what is included in the product listing, but using an image that uses another object to give the product scale is sometimes beneficial.

To make the images on your listing stand out, follow these optimization tips:

Use as many images as you are allowed

Include the product identifier in the filename (the Amazon ASIN)

Use professionally taken photos where possible

If you are taking the photo yourself, make sure it is well-lit and in focus

Here’s an example of a listing that uses images well:

Customer Reviews

Product listings with good customer reviews look better on Amazon, including on search results pages:

There is also a significant difference when you click through to the page. The image below is the product listing of the balance bike with customer reviews:

This image is from the product listing of the balance bike without customer reviews.

You should, therefore, encourage customer reviews on your products as much as possible. Amazon encourages this by giving you an option to request feedback from your customers. You can automate and improve the management of this process using an automatic feedback request tool.

There you have it, three of the most crucial elements when it comes to the discovery of a product, the perceived value of it and creating a trust relationship that will entice shoppers to click the Buy Button.

]]>https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/17/how-to-write-effective-amazon-product-listings-part-one/feed/0https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/17/how-to-write-effective-amazon-product-listings-part-one/How To Validate Your GTINs in 5 Steps?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatafeedwatchBlog/~3/qqAUcimp8qE/
https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/15/how-to-validate-your-gtins-in-5-steps/#respondWed, 15 Feb 2017 14:33:04 +0000http://www.datafeedwatch.com/?p=5462If your GTINs are wrong your products are disapproved on Google Shopping and Amazon, as well as other shopping channels and marketplaces. There are five steps that you can take to make sure that your GTINs are accurate for such situations in which the GTINs you have turn out to be invalid. Nowadays, the GTIN […]

If your GTINs are wrong your products are disapproved on Google Shopping and Amazon, as well as other shopping channels and marketplaces. There are five steps that you can take to make sure that your GTINs are accurate for such situations in which the GTINs you have turn out to be invalid.

Nowadays, the GTIN is a product’s best unique identifier. Most marketplaces and eCommerce systems use GTINs to identify various products. Since GTINs have such a great impact on the global supply chain, making sure your global trade item numbers are valid is of utmost importance.

With so many products being sold all over the world, and especially with the rise of online purchases, eCommerce systems, and platforms need an unequivocal way to ensure the separation between different trade products.

What is a GTIN?

Nowadays, the GTIN is a product’s best unique identifier. Most marketplaces and eCommerce systems use GTINs to identify various products. Since GTINs have such a great impact on the global supply chain, making sure your global trade item numbers are valid is of utmost importance.

With so many products being sold all over the world, and especially with the rise of online purchases, eCommerce systems, and platforms need an unequivocal way to ensure the separation between different trade products.

That’s where the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), a standard developed by the GS1 international non-profit organization, comes into play. GTINs are used for identifying and differentiating between trade items. Since so many systems and platforms are relying on GTINs to assess the uniqueness of a product, it is important to be able to troubleshoot any error that might appear.

All GTINs are globally unique, and to ensure that no two items have the same GTIN, there is a standard that helps safeguard against duplicates.

There are four types of GTINs: GTIN-14, GTIN-13, GTIN-12 and GTIN-8, and the ranges are assigned on a per country basis. Furthermore, each country assigns a smaller range to companies and product owners, and in their turn, companies assign a number out of that range for each product.

This ensures that the process is fast and there are no unnecessary delays in the GTIN assignment, given the high volume of GTIN requests.

The easiest way to validate your GTIN is by looking at the code on your product and double-checking if it reflects the one in the records. If this is not possible, then there are 5 steps that can be taken to validate a GTIN.

1. Check all 14 digits

We have established that there are four types of GTINs, depending on the number of digits they have: 8, 12, 13 and 14. Still, in order to make things linear, all GTINs are expressed as 14 digits code, by adding 0 to the left.

You can take a product’s GTIN manually, from the box of the item. Make sure you read all digits, no matter if some appear smaller, or if they are positioned slightly to the sides of the barcode symbol.

If you pick the GTIN from a database or other resource, the problem that you might come across is that not all databases are compliant with GS1 standards. Should you resort to a database, make sure you know and understand how it works. Otherwise, errors can appear: for example, a non-compliant database might only store part of a GTIN sequence, while omitting the check digit.

For the rest of this article, the 14-digit format will be used to explain how GTIN validation works.

2. Verify the GS1 Prefix

After you have completed step one, you need to start validating the very numbers that compose the sequence. You begin with the GS1 Prefix, which consists of N2, N3 and N4.

A GS1 Prefix is basically a country code that usually helps you identify the GS1 member organization where the manufacturer is registered (however, it doesn’t mean it is also where the product is made). Bigger countries tend to have a larger span of GTINs – for example, the GS1 prefixes for Japan range from 450 to 459. Until now, almost half of the prefixes haven’t been assigned to countries.

So far, we have covered how the validation of the GS1 prefixes works for GTINs-14, GTINs-13, and GTINs-12. However, validating the GS1 Prefix for GTINs-8 is slightly different. The first three numbers of a GTIN-8 written in a 14-digit format (namely, N7, N8, and N9) represent the GS1-8 Prefix, which is also allocated by GS1 to member organizations. Most GS1-8 prefixes correspond to GS1 prefixes.

3. Confirm the GS1 Company Prefix

If the previous step helps us place the manufacturer on the map or connect him to an industry, this part of the process tells us who the manufacturer is. A GS1 Company Prefix has between 4 and 11 characters, and it starts from the 2nd digit of the GTIN. Each Company Prefix is unique and it helps identify the brand it is assigned to throughout the global supply chain.

How do we validate the GS1 Company Prefix? There are 2 available methods: by using company prefix lists published by GS1 member organizations, or by using GS1’s Global Electronic Party Information Registry (GEPIR).

Validate the Company Prefix through lists published by GS1 member organizations

Some GS1 member organizations publish comprehensive listings encompassing the prefixes that have been licensed to manufacturers. These directories are available in XML and are updated frequently. When viewing such a list, you also find out when it was last brought up to date.

You know a Company Prefix is valid if the corresponding digits from the GTIN perfectly match the numbers of an entry from the list. However, if a Company Prefix is within the range covered by a list, but you can’t actually find the prefix anywhere on the list, it is invalid.

Validate the Company Prefix by using GEPIR

GEPIR is a database managed by GS1 that contains information from about 1 million companies. Arguably, this is the better of the two available methods to validate a Company Prefix, since GEPIR aggregates data from all the GS1 member organizations.

On the GEPIR website, you have a “Search by GTIN” option. All you have to do is write the 14 digits of the GTIN and hit the Search button.

If the Company Prefix is a valid one, the search results will include the manufacturer’s name and contact details. On the other hand, if your search result says “no records found”, the Company Prefix is most likely invalid.

4. Validate the rest of the GTIN

The three steps we have covered until now help us determine if a GTIN is within the span of numbers assigned by the GS1 Global Office and, furthermore, whether or not it is in a specific range which is licensed to a GS1 member company.

The current step deals with verifying the part of the GTIN that is given by the owner of the Company Prefix to a specific product. The number can be whatever the manufacturer wishes it to be, as long as it is unique within the company’s overall operations.

In this step, we validate all the digits of the GTIN, with the notable exception of the check digit (N 14).

In order to validate an individual GTIN, you need to confirm it with the brand owner. This is because the GS1 does not offer any methods through which you can verify if an individual GTIN has been assigned.

Fortunately, most manufacturers that are GS1 licensed offer comprehensive lists of products they have given GTINs to. Thus, in reality, you don’t have to go through this step every time. It is usually reserved for more special situations, where you haven’t yet established a relationship with a GS1 member company, or you don’t have a list of the GTINs the respective organization has allocated.

5. Make sure the check digit is correct

The fifth and final step is crucial. This part of the process focuses on validating the check digit (N14), which is calculated as a function of the other numbers that compose the GTIN.

The check digit is a safeguard – it helps you protect against most data entry errors, like mistyping or digit permutations.

Fortunately, GS1 gives you everything you need to deal with check digits. You have a check digit calculator at your disposal, which you can access right here. Just write the numbers composing the GTIN (without N14) and hit the calculate button.

Alternatively, you can calculate the check digit manually, based on a simple formula – see the table below.

If the result you get doesn’t match N14, the GTIN is invalid and you should recheck it to make sure it is written correctly.

There you have them: the 5 steps that will allow you to validate and check at any given time the accuracy of a GTIN. It is obviously not the easiest path we recommend for assigning GTINs to all your products, but you can use the steps highlighted above for some of the situations where the GTINs turn out invalid.

]]>https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/15/how-to-validate-your-gtins-in-5-steps/feed/0https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/15/how-to-validate-your-gtins-in-5-steps/Use Google Currency Converter Tool for International Expansionhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatafeedwatchBlog/~3/yzRZXZB4UzQ/
https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/2017/02/10/use-google-currency-converter-tool-for-international-expansion/#respondFri, 10 Feb 2017 09:05:41 +0000http://www.datafeedwatch.com/?p=5448The currency converter could be a game changer for small and mid-sized retailers aiming to expand their business internationally. In 2016, Google rolled out the currency conversion tool which makes it easier than ever to sell products in new international markets. Without having to change the website or product pages, the currency in the data feed […]

The currency converter could be a game changer for small and mid-sized retailers aiming to expand their business internationally. In 2016, Google rolled out the currency conversion tool which makes it easier than ever to sell products in new international markets.

Without having to change the website or product pages, the currency in the data feed will be converted to the local currency in more than 24 countries.

How does Currency Converter Works?

Google Currency Converter is a great tool to get your products sold in other countries with very little setup.

The currency converter uses Google Finance to calculate the pricing in the product feed and automatically adjusts it to the chosen country currency. This is helpful if you are currently selling and shipping products to other countries because your website doesn’t need to have separate landing pages for the variant prices for those countries. You just have to submit the data feed with products and prices you use on your website to Merchant Center, and the tool will estimate the currency conversion in the ads for you.

Advantages & Benefits of using the Currency Conversion Tool

If you would like to extend your presence into oversea markets, but you are currently limited to using one currency on your website the currency converter could help you with that.

No Website Investments. The currency conversion tool allows retailers to convert the currency in the product data to the currency of the new country, without having to go through the painful process of creating a new website and landing pages. When your ad is converted into the local currency it makes easier for the user to consider buying your product.

Use the same feed for multiple countries. Another benefit is that even though each new country will need its own product feed you will not need to do anything different to each specific feed. You can just make a copy of your current feed, rename it, and use that as the feed for the new country. You can also exclude products you don’t think will perform well for each country.

Tweak the feeds for each country. Keep an eye on seasonality for each specific country, that way you’re not wasting spend on products that you know aren’t in season. (ex. Pushing Jackets and Pants when it is summer time in that specific country) Also, if you are a US retailer Canada & United Kingdom is a great starting point to get going with the currency converter, because of the easy setup for these countries.

Get Started with Google Shopping Currency Conversion Tool

Getting started requires a pretty simple setup. All you need to do is create an extra Google export and rename it. Then head to your Merchant Center and under the Shopping ads > Configuration you will find the currency converter switch and you can start your upload.

It’s a similar setup to your normal Google feed but when you select the targeted country, three tabs will drop down and you can choose target country, language, and currency. The currency that the products will be sold in may differ from the currency of where your business is located or the target country of the feed. Also, if you select a multilingual country (such as Belgium, Canada, or Switzerland), you will be presented with the supported content languages of that country for the feed.

After this, it is like your basic Google data feed setup. You will also need to identify the tax and shipping requirements for the new country you’re targeting and set that up accordingly in the Merchant Center. Once that is complete you’re ready to start your campaign.

Availability and Limitations

Currently, Google has about 24 countries approved for the currency converter with some of those countries still in beta. Check the list of approved countries for Google Currency Converter to see if your country is supported by the currency converter.

You can use the currency conversion to target Shopping ads to any of the countries on the list, but you do need to meet the language requirements for every country. As global currency fluctuates, the estimate may be different from the final price, depending on the exchange rates used by the user’s credit card or other payment service provider.

With the globalization of brands, the currency converter is a great way to get out there and compete with top brands without making giant changes to your website and landing pages.